Cardcaptor Sakura: The Second Shuffle
by Saint X
Summary: Previous lives long forgotten, a dark enemy of that past surfaces to retry what failed before, threatening all beings and dimensions. Will they find the mysteries of their lives before what should have happened, happens? [TRC Continuation SxS and more]
1. 00: At Night, At Day, and What's Behind

Author's Note:

I know that it's extremely rude to a third remastery of a fic, but pardon for the things that have been happening, I have been trying to make my own style of writing that can understood by the majority of the readers of this category.

I have made this fic under the circumstance that 'Tsubasa Chronicle', another production made by CLAMP and also starring some of the canon characters of CCS, had ended sadly. Also this fic, like the productions its based upon, may show some touches of the productions noted above so please pardon any OOC interactions and such.

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Cardcaptor Sakura: The Second Shuffle

Prologue: At Night, at Day and what's Behind…

Tokyo Bayside, Warehouse 13, 22:30 H, 10:30 PM Local Time.

Shadows descend on the surprisingly heavily guarded warehouse, shadows in the form of people wearing blacked-out suits, body armor, face masks and wielding guns- all hallmarks of a special forces unit. One by one, each armed guard was taken down silently and efficiently, until none were left standing. As soon was each of the outside guards were taken out- alive or dead, three people emerged from the darkness, and in clothing rather contrasting the atmosphere, white coats resembling those worn by who had escaped the matrix for starters. A man in his forties, a guy in his early twenties and a girl of the same age range, by the looks of things, they seemed to be the superiors.

"Okay, secure the perimeter. I don't want any blind spots…" The man, who had short, straight brown hair and crystal-blue eyes spoke; in a somewhat low yet commanding voice. "Team one with me, team two, you know where."

The two younger superiors, one male with ruffled, short brown hair and the same toned crystal-blue eyes and one female with blondish-brown, almost golden brown thigh length hair tied into a simple ponytail and clear green eyes, instantly vanished into the night. These two reappear at the back door of the warehouse, along with a group of soldiers.

"We're ready over here…" the blue-eyed boy then spoke into his mic, which was coincidentally a pair of nightvision goggles as well.

"Okay… enter when ready…" the man on the other line responded.

And quickly and cleanly executed like the specialists that they were, they stormed into the warehouse and found not a soul but instead winding corridors- it seemed that the once spacious warehouse was transformed into a makeshift building with three floors. Room after room was searched and turned up nothing, eventually making the two teams meet at the centre of the first floor.

"Nothing from my end sir…" the one who led the back force replied.

"It's supposed to be here." The "superior" (since he was older) then spoke and then turned to his other "subordinate" (since they were younger). "Where is it?"

"I lost track of it when we entered… I'm sorry sir."

The commander then knelt down and felt the floor with his hand, as if using it as a sensor. After some time, he stopped.

"Found it, clear the area." He then spoke, prompting the two subordinate superiors and the soldiers to move back.

Then the commander stood up and took out what seemed to be a flashlight from his coat, but with a minor jerk it became something else, a sword with a crystalline blue blade. Then on his feet, a somewhat familiar circular seal appeared, but in the lines of the moon. He then began to chant in a mysterious tongue which for the benefit of the non-magical public, be translated.

"_By the power vested to me by the canon, weaken thy restraint… Break!"_

Upon saying the last word, the floor broke up, the hole swallowing him, much to the minor worry of his two subordinates.

"Commander!" the two subordinates jointly spoke and then jumped into the hole that was created, followed shortly by the soldiers along descent ropes.

At the bottom of the hole, the two subordinates find their commander standing, and landed near him, aided by the jet packs they wore. Moments later, the descent ropes appeared and the soldiers descended, forming a circle surrounding them, with laser sights switched on.

"Be wary people… we don't know what is inside here…" the superior then spoke, looking abound them and motioning to keep watch. "But this place is filled with a dark force that feels familiar…"

"I can feel it too sir… this is pure evil…" the male subordinate replied. "What is this force?"

"I'm not yet sure yet… but nonetheless…"

"Yes sir…"

And so the group again splits into two, both heading in opposite directions. Moments pass and then, the female subordinate commander feels something.

"Andrei, I feel something approaching…"

"I can feel it too Yvonne…" the male subordinate commander also replied and signaled his group to stop and assume a defensive formation.

Andrei then takes out from the folds of his inner shirt a gold and ruby pendulum-shaped pendant. He then holds it like a dousing pendulum, extended at arm's length and allowed to swing freely. After a few moments, he once again wears the pendant and takes out a sort of flashlight device from his hip holster, prompting Yvonne to take out her similar device. They both power up, revealing to be lightsabers common to Sci-fi fanatic. Then it begins- the laser sights of each of the soldiers accompanying the two subordinates began to vanish one by one, prompting the two to stay in their place, backs against each other. And then the next scene seemed like one that came out of a sci-fi movie, since the only things visible were the pair of light swords- blue and green respectively, swinging against the darkness and occasionally adding sparks- something was being hit by those blades of light. And then, it was all over, the two light edges remained while sparks were going off on the floor.

"This isn't good…" Andrei can only say. "Sir, are you okay? We just got attacked by who knows what…"

At the superior's end, he was somewhat the only lighted entity, with his glow lighting some distance around him, showing fallen robot soldiers (though earlier they could be mistaken for people), spewing oil and some damaged black figures with single eyes, wide shoulders and a strange crest on their bodies- a crest that made him cringe.

"That crest… it couldn't be…" he thought as he began to reply on the line. "I'm okay… but I think this is not good…"

"What do you mean not good sir?"

He could not answer his subordinate's question as another illuminated figure caught his eye, wearing a black coat, an immense aura of evil reaching out to him.

"You…" the superior could only say. "I should have not doubted that this is your handiwork…"

"Well, well, well…" the black figure spoke. "If it isn't the 'student'… fancy meeting you here- it's been what, 30, 50 years ago?"

"You're the unneeded disturbance during the Kageyama affair… I remember that as well as our first meeting all those years ago. But now is the time for your ways to end…" the superior could only say as he charged towards him, sword on hand. "Once and for all time and dimensions!"

"I wouldn't say that…" the black one began to counter his rival's words. "If I were you!!!"

The superior's charged was blocked by the black one's sword, an ornate example but with a black blade, making the superior hint at what it was.

"A saiga huh? You must have stolen it from another world and reformed it to suit your needs… what next, a clone to wield your dark copy of the staff?"

"Hmm… that may not be such a bad idea…"

"You'll be having tea with Enma first!" the superior in white could only grunt his reply as he tried to push his foe away.

"I have no time with you…" the black one could only say as he pushed his white foe away. "I have bigger fish to fry…"

With one sweep of his sword, the black being whipped up a storm of flashes, allowing him to escape and finally illuminating the dark room, revealing the superior, the two subordinates and several remains of droid soldiers and the black machine fighters. Finally, the true horror of the room dawned on them all- glass cylinders were its walls, filled with a liquid and an occupant, all of them despite their faces and visually sensitive parts covered, girls.

"Homunculi… I didn't expect that he'll go to such lengths…" the white officer then spoke as he sheathed his sword, looking at each cylinder. "And each from a different plane, and each with a quality that makes 'her' up…"

"I suggest we destroy this sir…" Andrei then spoke, while his partner held his arm, somewhat shaking. "Yvonne will be sleepless unless we…"

"I know…" the superior then spoke, opening a channel. "Requesting an IS-10 on my mark… low yield please…"

"Roger that sir… the blast sphere will only encompass the warehouse only… you have five minutes." The other line replied.

"Isn't antimatter a bit too much?" Andrei could only ask as the exited the structure, three minutes left.

"Antimatter is the only mundane weapon powerful enough that can cut mystic eneriges- and those 'things' were full of it. If we used any other device, the force penned up inside will wreck the entire port area- even the entire city if the force wave rebounds Tokyo's mystic barrier…"

Three minutes later, a lone line of light streaked above said warehouse, dropping what seemed to be a small point of light- it was in fact, a small antimatter bomb. The light found its mark and instantly consumed the building, leaving a perfect round crater in its place.

"Time for extreme measures…" the white subordinate could only think as they left the area as the police came to the site of the former Warehouse 13.

Tomoeda City, 15 Wagarashi St., 07:00 H, 7 AM Local Time.

We tune our sights to one of the bedrooms of this house, the one with the window facing the street- well the window of the lower arm of the L-shaped house. And then, the silence of the morning was broken by the one thing that was made just for breaking that sacred silence- an alarm clock, placed on the ledge of the headboard of the bed that was in that room beside what seemed to be a stuffed handmade doll of a girl wearing a pink dress.

And then, a hand rose from under the sheets of the bed and promptly groped the ledge for the infernal contraption. And said hand managed to grab hold of the device and took it under the sheets, promptly silencing it. But then, some plans were not foolproof- as said alarm clock was placed at the open edge of the bed, thus making the person in the bed fall if that ploy to silence was used.

"Auu…" a groan, surprisingly from a female, came from the floor near the bed. "What time is it?"

Then, from a nearby desk table drawer, a being that could be mistaken for a stuffed toy came out on its own. And said being floated towards the figure that was still slumped on the floor, still covered in a blanket. A closer inspection of this being from another angle reveals that he is none other than…

"Kero… be quiet… what time is it anyway?" a familiar, yet mature female voice came from under the blanket.

"I don't know… but you set that thing to 7 in the morning…"

"7AM?!!" the still covered figure suddenly became sober and awake, thus removing the covering blanket- this late sleeper is none other than…

"Sakura, your breakfast is ready…" a male voice came in from downstairs.

"Coming father…" she could only reply, standing up and fixing her bed.

After doing bed maintenance, she began to fix herself. Now sixteen, the only things that have changed with age is her age (of course) and vital statistics, leaving only her face to be almost the same when she was still in elementary, though she left the hair ribbons a long time ago (to be honest, she looks like her TRC incarnation), now opting for simple, combed hair.

"Why did you set your clock that ear-uhmmph!" Kero asked, before being hit by Sakura's PJ top and then the bottom.

"Tomoyo and I have to pick someone up at the airport…" she said somewhat shyly. "Tomoyo's going to pick me up so I have to hurry so as to not impose on her…"

"And who is this you have to pick up?" Kero asked, somewhat suspecting some things.

"Just someone…"

Then just outside of the house, a car parks beside the house and honks once.

"That must be Tomoyo now…" Sakura could only say as she finished her preparation and went down.

Somewhere, same time.

It was a purely dark space, devoid of any colour, shape or logic and full of evil energies. Amidst this overwhelming blanket of negativity, shadows were moving and then, a sudden lull in the monotony of the space came in.

"He's getting more precise with my locations of activity…" the figure in black of the night past, now features obscured by the color spoke. "And to top it all off, he became the very thing I dreaded. My second attempt must not be hindered once again- I have waited long and hard for this opportunity, using all the skills I have taken just to stay whole… the already weak potency of the stone in my hands is almost gone- thanks to that blasted alchemist Dante. But no matter…"

Then, from the shadows, another figure came into view, unrecognizable, until it spoke.

"I have assembled enough of them… We are ready on your command."

"Good… the power of wishes that I have waited for so long to reacquire… the power that the Wing Princess has will be mine… no more mistakes, no more miscalculations, and heck no more imperfect clones… Go!"


	2. Opening Song: Clover CCS Shuffle Ver

Song: **Clover**  
Performed by: **Meg Rock**  
Original Series: **Solty Rei**

--- OPENING INSTRUMENTAL ---

Sakura is shown wearing a random battle clothing set (that changes each ep) in an alley of pillars- which looked like the inside of a temple, back at the camera, focus going far. 

**Nee ima made shiritakatta **

_Hey, can you tell me the ending… _

Two rows of Sakura cards, backs facing, slide in, the left one upwards while the right one goes downward. Then a somewhat shoulder-up naked Sakura is then framed by more of the cards. 

**Otogi banashi no tsuzuki**  
_…of the fairy tale that I have always wanted to know?_

Then three cards, The Dark, The Light and The Hope, slide in from the upper right and exit the lower left, quickly followed by three more cards, this time with their backs facing slide in from the lower left to the upper right (Later these cards are replaced by The Life, The Death and The Wish.). Then on the lower right corner, Shaoran appears facing right and somehow apprehensive, with the other corners still being framed by moving Sakura cards. Then the cards cover the entire screen. 

**Eien ni owaranai**

_If it's happiness ever after,_

Then the frame turns into the same as the opening, this time with the focus going near her and with doves taking off before turning towards the camera. 

**Shiawase nara kono te de**

_Then I'll find it myself._

Then close-up to her face, with a sort of sad smile. Then the frame shifts to a wide view, with her looking up to the sky filled with shooting stars, with the doves flying. 

--- INSTUMENTAL PAUSE --- 

Various strange drawings overlap each other- most of them magical seals.

**Bokura wa marude**

_It's like we're just …_

Shaoran, with sword on hand and doing a kung fu pose is shown in the background, while his somewhat worried face is at the foreground left. 

**Ichi mai chigai**

…_a bit out of phase…_

The star key is shown hanging on the left of the screen, while Sakura, holding her stellar staff and somewhat hugging it, looking somewhat sad, is in the foreground to the right. 

**No guuzen wo sagashi ate meguri atta**  
_…helping each other by chance we met._

Sakura runs in a somewhat empty street and as she passes a column, she vanishes and out comes Shaoran at the other side, also running. 

**Kimi ga itsuka nomi konda**

_More than those words… _

Quick flash to a pair of hand trying to hold each other, but then the full color frame turns sepia and the background becomes flashy. Then, cuts to feathers flying upward. 

**Sono kotoba yori **

…_that you have swallowed back that day_

Sakura now faces a mirror, hand on the glass. 

**Zutto kiyosou ni ite kureteta yasashisa wo shinjitai to ima omoun da**

_I wanted to believe in the gentleness that I saw when you are always with me, even when you didn't want to be… That is what I think of now._

Then Shaoran is now facing the same mirror, also with a hand on the glass. Then cuts to a Sakura in tears, at the other side of the mirror. But then, the mirror becomes transparent, now showing Sakura and Shaoran's hands clasped. Then Sakura looks and the smiles, with some tears left. 

**Nee kono saki wa doko made mo**

_Hey, how much longer do we…_

A hand holding a card is shown, and then suddenly cuts to Andrei and Yvonne…

Ver. 1:

… Running fast on a street, ninja style.

Ver. 2:

… flying down on their jetpacks. 

**Fuan to tonari awase**

…_have to live with uncertainty?_

Ver. 1:

Andrei and Yvonne jump in and hack their way thru tons of black robotic enemies

Ver. 2:

Same as version 1, but with Sakura flying in and landing on a big enemy, wand starting to shine due to a spell. 

**Nakusu mono ga nakatta**

_I see many empty shells…_

Ver. 1:

Cuts to Sign, standing with a sword in a presentation pose, on top what appears to be a triangular magic seal. She then swings the sword down and charges, a sudden closeup reveals the base of her sword ejecting cartridges similar to a gun.

Ver. 2:

Sakura, having finished the long spell chant, flies away on her wings, with light from the lower left corner illuminating her. Then suddenly cuts to Sign holding a fully drawn bow. 

**Bokutachi wa mou inai**

…_but we are not there._

Ver. 1:

Cuts to a shot of something being cut and then cuts to a scene where Sign is in the foreground, with an explosion occurring behind her.

Ver. 2:

It then closes up to Sign's face, showing dedication and ready. Then cuts to a shot of a cartridge being ejected. 

**Nee ima made shiranakatta**

_Hey, can you tell me the ending… _

Feiwang Reed appears, along with his emblem, then it fades to his four "commanders" faces shaded.

**Otogi banashi no tsuzuki**

…_of the fairy tale that I have never heard before?_

The cuts to a shot of Hideo, Sonomi, Touya and Sign, then suddenly cuts to Eriol, Tomoyo, Kasumi, Ruriko, Yue, Kero, Ruby and Spinel talking up temple steps. 

**Eien ni owaranai**

_If it's happiness ever after,_

Then cuts to them now facing the camera, weapons drawn- Eriol with Clow's staff, Tomoyo with a somewhat stellar-inspired staff, Kasumi with a pair of pistols, Ruriko with a bow, both lunar guardians with their crystals. 

**Shiawase nara kono te de**

_Then I'll find it myself._

Then cuts to Sakura still looking at the sky, with a hand suddenly holding her shoulder, making her look at who it was. 

**Tsumi kasanete yuku mono**

_Because we are going until we reach that sky._

Then cuts to Sakura and Shaoran, camera panning up to the night sky filled with falling stars.

Title Fades in. 

**カードキャプターさくら  
セカンドーシャッフル！**

**Cardcaptor Sakura  
The Second Shuffle**

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Author's Note:

Finally something to do! Well that would be big LOL for me. Well this idea of having an OP song came from a friend, beta-ray gun man and fellow writer Kha- as well as some of the features as well. As for the song, days of roaming Animax and YouTube have been fruitful. Well over the next few weeks I will be adding the next chapters, since I will be having a week long vacation far from the city. I hope you appreciate and leave me a note.

Author's Challenge:

I have only 1 Character in this fanfic that may seem to be an OC, but is actually a canon character from another series. Can you guess who?

Until the Next Shuffle then!


	3. 01: A Dream and those in it

A Dream and those in it

Sakura's Dream, 6:22 AM Local Time.

Sakura was surrounded by ruins. All around her, ruined structures of stone surround her. She takes her time and looks around, the scenery somewhat evoking a sense of familiarity- she had been here before, but not sure when or why. She then focused on what she was seeing in front, the ruined form of what seemed to be a pair of stone wings massively sticking out of the sand. Then, the wind began to blow, somehow working up a light dust storm, obscuring her view for the moment. But…

"The wind… I don't hear it…" she thought as the storm began to abate. "Who.. who's there?"

Amidst the blowing sand, she could see someone thru it. And the view became clear with each passing second, finally revealing someone, wearing clothes that seemed to fit royalty in this hot weather. But…

"But… she looks like me…" Sakura could only think as the other "Sakura" went forward and held her face ever so gently and looked at her with a sad smile. "And those are… wings?"

The other "Sakura" had "wings" behind her back, all majestic and divinely spread, and glowing for that matter. And then, this other "Sakura" began to speak, in a much milder and gentler tone than Sakura.

"Please… find me…"

"Find you?"

"Please… find me…"

Sakura looked around and somehow carefully counted wings the other "Sakura" had and saw that one was still missing. A blink then made that number to all of them gone.

"Huh?"

"Please… find yourself…"

"Find… myself?" Sakura could only ask.

And she could not ask any further, because she saw…

"Wings?"

She could only look behind her, and she saw that the wings the other "Sakura" had were now on her back. And with a strong gust of wind, she was thrown away from the ground, sending her high up.

Daidouji Family Vehicle, Plate No. 84-87, Heading towards Narita Airport, 07:45:16 H, 7:45 AM Local Time.

"Strange dream it is…" Sakura's companion in the backseat of the car replied- none other than Tomoyo herself. "And?"

"Well the alarm clock did its job and woke me up…"

While the two are quiet in contemplation and thought, a bit of perspective on what time had done to Sakura's best friend is in order. Aside being mature-looking (well to be exact on appearances, she looked like her TRC incarnation), nothing has changed- she was still the calm, deductive and understanding Tomoyo, though now she had a much more tighter schedule, due to her increasing importance not just to her family's company, but also to her now sought after talent.

"Well you know… you should rest for a while." Tomoyo began to advise her friend. "He did say that he'll arrive around 11 or so. And if I take you into consideration, you didn't have enough sleep last night."

"Yeah…" Sakura replies and nods. "Ever since I got his call, I have been on edge. And…"

"It's only the start of winter- spring is still three months away, so you'll have enough time…"

"Yes… we'll be in first year in April- high school… I wonder what's in store for us?"

And with that, Sakura drifted off to sleep. And moments later, Kero appears from inside Sakura's bag, which he managed to hide himself in while Sakura was not looking.

"I should have known that it was that brat…" Kero could only puff.

"Now, now Kero… you know how important he is to my Sakura-chan…" Tomoyo replied. "And did you hear what she said about her dream?"

"Loud and clear… wings huh? If I can remember, Clow did say something about a winged princess before- but I still can't fully remember. But regarding that brat…"

"Yes… it is strange…" Tomoyo could only comment. "He did call us and into a conference too…"

Tomoyo then turned on the TV and tuned it to the news.

"We are live here at the site of the previous Warehouse 13- as of now, the said structure has now been replaced by the most strangest craters ever seen- a perfect crater from any angle." The on-site reporter spoke. "Police, SDF and scientists alike are puzzled as to what had occurred here- suspicions from accidental explosions, terrorism acts and even otherworldly phenomena are currently being explored…"

"Those weird incidents have been happening regularly now…" Tomoyo commented. "Last week it was a disused building in the Diet compound."

"Hmm… well something bothers me…" the sun guardian then spoke. "It's because each time these incidents occurred, I feel that something's wrong with something… but what?"

JAL Airbus A380, on route to Los Angeles from Shanghai via Hong Kong and Tokyo, 8:05:51 H, 7:35 AM Local Time.

A boy of 16, with chestnut-colored hair and amber eyes was gazing at the window, watching clouds shoot past. Despite the lush comforts of First-class seating, his mind was still unsettled. Then, a female voice, much older than his stopped his thought tracks.

"Still worried?"

The boy looked at who spoke those words- a female with long crimson-pink hair tied into a single ponytail, wearing a high-slit sleeveless cheongsam (Mandarin gown or QiPao in other terms) of the similar colour as her hair.

"Yes I am…" the boy replied.

"I'm feeling rather sorry for Miss Meiling, being our anchor, researcher and reporter back in Hong Kong… she must have cried after we left…"

"Meiling's fine, she did volunteer- don't worry she's probably not as strong as you but she is strong… Sign…"

Sign, the female companion simply nodded.

"You too Mister Syaoran, brave as any foe that I have met in my previous lives…"

As Sign stood up and began to rummage her person for something, a slight take on Syaoran Li's status is in order. Except aging to teen status, nothing has also changed (thus making him, like all the others look like their TRC incarnations). As for his companion "Sign", she was a sudden addition and last minute decision on the part of Syaoran's mother, because by this time Wei had retired and thus could not afford to come, because of his 'retirement duty' at the house. As for said companion's clothing despite the weather, let's just say that the Li sisters got the better of her.

"I still can't agree to their choice of clothing…" Sign then spoke, still rummanging her person. "Winter has just started."

Then she found what she was looking for, a dagger-shaped pendant with a wire necklace, tied to an inner garter in her clothing.

"We might need this after all- this is a part of me as well." Sign only said as she once again sat on her seat.

Sakura's Dream, 9:20:34 H, 9:20 Local Time.

She was now above the ruins, being sent aloft by the wind and by her newly acquired "wings". The ground below here began to turn into liquid darkness, along with the sky turning bloody crimson. In an instant, her trusty staff was on her hand, prepared to do its creator's bidding. And then she took out and called her shield card, creating a barrier which suddenly blocked incoming portions of the black ground.

"What's happening here?" She softly spoke as the portions of the ground that attacked, began to float in front of her, taking form.

But they never finished their shapeshifiting, because what seemed to be even stronger wind began to blow, blowing what seemed to be a crescent of light blue light towards one of the shapeshifters, passing thru it and eliminating it. Then, what seemed to be arrows of light streaked from behind her, impaling at another one and also banishing it out of existence.

"What's happening?" Sakura could only ask as another figure, this time wielding a sword, bore down on the last unknown being, slashing it out.

"Are you okay, my Princess?" the person who slashed the last foe then asked, voice and features familiar to Sakura.

"Syaoran?"

"We have no time…" Another male voice comes in, stranger to both of them, and making them look behind them.

Six people were behind them- the source of all those attacks against the unknown beings. The two at the right looked similar to Tomoyo and Eriol, with "Tomoyo", wearing a sort of robe and standing what seemed to be a magical seal, composed of line drawings of some sort and the "Eriol" with her had Clow's staff but in much more sleeker clothing, as if this "Eriol" was from the future. Then the two figures on the left were unknown to her, also a pair- a boy with ruffled, short brown hair and crystal-blue eyes and a girl with blondish-brown, almost golden brown thigh length hair tied into a simple ponytail and clear green eyes, both wearing what seemed to be white coats, with somewhat ornate swords on their hands. She then looks at the center pair, a woman with crimson-pink hair and eyes, wearing a sort of armored coat-jacket of some sort and bearing a somewhat mechanical sword on one hand, and a male, with short, straight brown hair and crystal-blue eyes, the oldest of them, also wearing a sort of armored jacket but with a strange yet ornate lunar staff on his hands.

"Who are you people?" Sakura then asked, amdist the bloody sky and now, lightning.

"Oh dear…" "Tomoyo" began to speak. "I've only changed my clothes and my dear Sakura-chan forgets about me? Oh Sakura, Sakura…"

Daidouji Family Vehicle, 9:45 AM, 30 Kilometers from Narita Airport.

"Sakura? Sakura?"

"Huh?" a somewhat dazed Sakura asked sleepily. "Tomoyo?"

"We're near the airport… get yourself prepared then."

"Okay…" Sakura could only nod as she began to fix herself.

JAL A380, Same Time, 200 Kilometers from the airport.

"We are close…" Sign could only say, as the ground began to become visible. "I'll get myself ready."

"Attention all passengers…" the captain's voice came in. "We are arriving at Narita International, so the lounge and gift shop will be closed while in this evolution. Please return your tray tables to their upright position and buckle your seatbelts…"

"Sakura..." Syaoran could only think. "After all these years…"

Narita Terminal 1, Passenger Lounge.

"And why are we here again Yvonne?" the younger male superior from last night thought, though he now looked like he had reversed his age to 16 or so.

Beside him is the younger female superior from last night, also in a state of reversed age. Both were wearing clothing that the receivers of the passengers wore.

"Welcome to Japan… please enjoy your stay here…" Yvonne spoke to another batch of people exiting a terminal gate and then thought. "Just wait for it…"

"Well what are we waiting for anyway?"

"We're waiting for her to arrive… at least we can shadow her and help her if something comes up."

Secret Location, Three Hours Ago, 6:45:40 H, 6:45 AM Local Time.

The scene looked like the inside of an office room. Both younger superiors were standing on the opposite side of a table, with their senior sitting on the chair on the opposite end.

"Sakura Kinomoto, Age 16…" Andrei read out the information that was on his optical tablet. "This is their target? Are you sure of this sir?"

"Sure of it… the reasons are classified even to you, my direct subordinates. Don't complain…" his superior replied quickly.

"But sir… I don't see any relation of the events between those that happened to her half a decade ago, and this one and all the other raids we've been doing for the past year."

"It's all related- well except the awakening of her cards… wait… that is still related."

"What are we supposed to do then sir?" Yvonne asked.

"Simple, guard her from any harm that comes…"

"That simple order?"

"With her, it will not be 'simple'…" Andrei replied. "What do we have for tools then, since magic is involved?"

The superior stood up and went towards the wall, opening a keypad and dialing a combination on it.

--- Back at the Terminal ---

"Fighting with the same tools huh?" Andrei then thought as he looked at the outside. "But still…"

"It's coming…" Yvonne's voice came in mentally.

Then the PA rang…

--- Terminal Entrance ---

"Are you ready Sakura?" Tomoyo asked as they alight from the car, one bodyguard following. "Nervous?"

"I am… and you?"

"Me too… because I don't know if my camera has enough memory left…"

Sakura could only sweatdrop- Tomoyo was Tomoyo after all. Then, the PA system comes alive with an announcement.

"May I have your attention please… Flight JAL158 from Shanghai via Hong Kong has just arrived thirty minutes ahead of schedule…" the public announcer called in.

"That must be his flight…" Tomoyo commented, grabbing Sakura's hand.

Terminal 1 Arrival Area, Fifteen Minutes later, 10:00 AM.

"Japan, again…" Sign, who was now wearing a winter overcoat, softly spoke as she passed by Yvonne.

"Welcome to Japan… Please enjoy your stay here…"

"Thank you…" Sign replied, but then asked in the same soft voice. "Are you of the right age to even work? Or are you here as 'that'?"

"As 'that'?"

Before Sign could answer, Syaoran appears, making Yvonne do the customary greeting.

"Welcome to Japan sir… Please enjoy your stay here…"

And those two left that area, leaving the two ushers in thought.

"She's a 'knight'…" Andrei commented. "Maybe…"

"She is…" Yvonne replied. "She has that 'armed device' on her neck…"

"Probably…"

"Don't be probable… maybe the next minute; this place is in the grip of a _fuusetsu_ (one of the many holding fields used in anime) or some other holding field."

"I know. That's why I'm counting on you."

--- Sign and Syaoran ---

"What were you doing back there?" Syaoran asked his companion. "You were scaring somebody."

"Just a thought… and I naturally scare people."

"Please, don't scare her." Syaoran advised.

"If I may ask, who is the person we are meeting with?"

--- Far end of the Terminal ---

Sakura and Tomoyo were running towards the arrivals area.

"Sakura, Sakura, wait up!" Tomoyo could only say as she followed Sakura.

"I can't wait any longer…" Sakura could only think. "It's been too long."

"…" Kero could only think. "Something's wrong, but what?"

--- Arrivals Area ---

Both Sign and Syaoran start to see them. The boy's face begins to light up while Sign stops and looks somewhat startled. She stays put as the boy begins to run towards the two girls.

"It can't be…" the woman could only think as she focuses on the approaching Sakura and Tomoyo. "They are the same…"

"Syaoran!" Sakura yelled- one of the many yells in the space.

The boy simply stopped and smiled, prompting the girl to further rush in. Tomoyo also stopped, but not to take a rest, but to break out her newest "weapon" in her arsenal- in short, a new camera.

"I have been waiting for this to take this out." Tomoyo thought as she powered the device on as her friend closes the gap between her and her loved one.

"But you said you didn't have enough memory…" Kero whispered from Sakura's bag, which she was carrying since Sakura dropped it when she saw Syaoran.

"I was referring to my Nikon, not this new Sony…"

"The one with the 100 GB HDD and such?" the guardian replied, picking up some things while at Tomoyo's place during some events.

"Shh…"

But just as Sakura closes the gap, a long train of empty pushcarts cuts in her path, not only stopping her, but also making the two of them sweatdrop. Then as the train continued, they could only laugh mildly at the sudden disturbance. Well after what seemed to be an eternity, the end of the train passes them, with the motorized cart collector operator saying his apologies, Sakura slowly walks towards her special someone, the one she had not seen for half a decade. The two meet each other face to face, eyes straight into each other. But just then, as if the celestials above were the most clichéd beings in the cosmos…

"Ahem…" Sign's voice came in really close to them. "Time…"

"Pardon…" Syaoran then spoke. "Sakura, Sign, my bodyguard caretaker."

"I am Sign, guardian-caretaker of the Li household…" the crimson pink-haired guardian introduced herself. "Since I am here in Japan, feel free to call me as Miss Saisaki Seijo (聖女 幸先)."

"A Holy Woman of the Signs…" Kero, in his hiding spot in the bag thought as he heard the introduction.

"Sakura Kinomoto…" Sakura bowed as she introduced herself. "Nice to meet you. Uhm… can I ask If Wei is doing okay?"

"He's enjoying the benefits of a retired life." the boy replied.

"And yes… and that's my friend…" Sakura then spoke, pointing to the now approaching Tomoyo. "Tomoyo Daidouji…"

Tomoyo bows.

"Pleasure meeting such fine friends…" Saisaki replied.

--- At another end of the Arrivals Area ---

Andrei and Yvonne were leaning on a pillar; in far sight of them was the group.

"So, what now?" the girl then asked.

"We wait- and hope nothing bad happens.

--- On top of the Control Tower ---

Someone was there, standing above one of the antennae, golden eyes scanning the airport below. The being wore a black cloak, thus hiding its identity- until he spoke though- the one in the dark void that said the state of "their preparations".

"Is it ready?"

Suddenly, someone in a gray cloak appears behind him, features obscured as well.

"Yes master…"

"Go then my Crystal Librarian, begin our plan to acquire her power…"

"Yes, I will begin 'checking her in'…" the "Crystal Libarian" replied. "And this time, no agents of the flame to harm me…"

As his subordinate vanishes, the black-cloaked one looks on.

"Time to realize the lord's plan…" he thinks as he too vanishes from the scene.


End file.
